Littlehampton students in heated debate with minister

Mr Gibb, who is also the MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, was quizzed about possible changes to the school league table system, during an A-level law lesson at the school.

It was a heated debate between Mr Gibb and the students, with a political tug-of-war taking place during the discussion.

Toby Roddham, 18, said he was totally against any potential reform to the education system – an opinion which clashed with the views both Mr Gibb and some fellow students.

Toby said: “I didn’t agree so much with his views, he had very strong opinions. However, it was a good insight into the life of an MP.”

Samantha Jones, 17, and Harry Boniface, 17 were among those supporting the minister’s stance.

Last month, Mr Gibb said he would crack down on schools which gave more priority to their rankings in exam league tables than to ensuring good education for their students.

He claimed that the old system allowed schools to exploit the tables, with some using it to boost their rating.